


Autumn Blues

by kassandra_divina_trevelyan



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst and Drama, Cullen and Kassandra are together now for real, F/M, First Love, Heartbreak, Past Relationship(s), Sebastian and Kassandra were never actually together, Star-crossed, What-If, love not meant to be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23240320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kassandra_divina_trevelyan/pseuds/kassandra_divina_trevelyan
Summary: Summary: A necklace wrapped in memories, two young lovers, and the thought of what could have been had that fateful Kingsway night turned out a little different. (past Sebastian/Trevelyan, current implied Cullen/Trevelyan)((ALSO ON TUMBLR)) ((@queen-among-writers))
Relationships: Cullen Rutherford/Female Trevelyan, Female Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford, Female Trevelyan/Sebastian Vael
Kudos: 4





	Autumn Blues

**Autumn Blues**

_Skyhold_

_Haring, 9:41 Dragon_

“Something seems to be troubling you, my dear.” The voice of Madame De Fer was unmistakable, smooth and luscious like the honey that sweetened her wine during a ball. Kassandra Divina Ariella Trevelyan managed a small smile but it failed to fully reach her eyes. Leaning up from her supported lounge along the balcony overlooking the Great Hall, Kassandra had no emotional energy to play the role of Inquisitor or shying away from the truth through coy words and subtle manipulations. Vivienne was one of the few people who could see right through her. 

“Not troubled, per se. Simply, I am lost in memories.” Kassandra explained as Vivienne joined her, settling to the right of her and leaning along the balcony. The two women watched the inhabitants of the Great Hall chattering amongst themselves with bits and pieces of gossip reaching their ears or the ambient noise of Skyhold from daily life. Vivienne noticed Kassandra absentmindedly fiddling with a necklace she wore. The brightness of the rubies popped against her fair skin and darkly glimmered against the firelight coming from below them.

“That is… an exquisite necklace, my dear. Did Cullen gift that to you or was it a gift from a noble suitor hoping to curry some favor?” Vivienne inquired and Kassandra stopped fiddling with the necklace, her fingers recoiling from the touch of the gem.   
  
“Uh no,” “This was a gift… from years ago. A past that I would rather forget.” Kassandra said, swallowing thickly as she considered removing the necklace. It burned against her skin with the taunt of forbidden memories and the words left unspoken that made her wonder.   
  
What about? How different life could have been if that night had gone differently.

* * *

_Starkhaven Castle_

_Kingsway, 9:30 Dragon_

The staff of Starkhaven’s castle were under duress when the signal came that the convoy from Ostwick arrived outside the castle with the Trevelyan family in tow. King Reginald Vael, the patriarch of the Vael dynasty, invited Bann Hugo Trevelyan to discuss a potential alliance between the two nations. The Teryn of Ostwick might have the seat of power, but it was families like the Trevelyan that controlled everything underneath the Teryn’s nose…Or perhaps with his consent as the Teryn was ailing and influencing him would be all too easy for a powerful family like the Trevelyans—filled with those gifted at persuasion. One member of the Trevelyan family would be critical to winning over Bann Trevelyan: his daughter. So, Reginald Vael gave his son, Sebastian, a task that he could not fail. 

Sebastian was known for his good looks and charm, which often got him in trouble for sullying the reputation of the Vael family with his womanizing. He was meant to win over Kassandra Trevelyan by whatever means necessary or there would be consequences for his irresponsibility with his money. Reginald would see to it that his son understood the gravity of this request.   
The Vaels stood in a line with Sebastian standing on the left of his father, feeling his father’s eyes bearing down on him. There were life-changing consequences on the line should he fail and Sebastian had no intention of letting his natural charms elude him this night. 

Walking into the dining room with some guidance from the servants, Bann Hugo Trevelyan and his family crossed into the threshold of a war zone, hidden behind the fine silverware and the guide of peace through food. 

“Good evening, King Reginald, it is an honor to be invited to your table tonight. You humble me and my family with this opportunity.” Bann Trevelyan greeted and took a knee before the King, a demonstrated sign of respect. Reginald noted this with the faint markings of a smirk, hoping Bann Trevelyan would continue to bend backward to maintain goodwill. 

“The pleasure is all mine.” Reginald’s booming voice made him seem more of an imposing figure than he would have been otherwise. He gestured to his sons and wife, “My wife, Celeste, and my three sons.” 

“My wife, Aurora, as you know well.” Bann Trevelyan held up his interlaced hand with his wife and smiled at her. They were the stark contrast to Reginald and Celeste’s cold demeanor toward each other. “And these are my children: Aleksander, Theodore, and Kassandra.” Bann Trevelyan introduced and pointed at each one when sharing their name. The two sons each looked like one parent and the resemblance clearly shone through. Then, there was the matter of the daughter. The youngest and only daughter of Bann Trevelyan, Kassandra, stood proudly between her brothers and her eyes covered the room in a cursory scan. She feigned a disinterested purse of her lips toward the political talk between the ‘adults’, but Maker knew she was clearly listening. Sebastian studied the girl, not much younger than him, with a keen eye. 

Andraste had blessed her; from her full lips to her delicate features to her eyes that were piercing yet tender all at once. The deep red, rich velvet ball gown that clung to her figure would have been the envy of the noble ladies at any Orlesian gathering. And if reputation was to be believed, she had a tongue sharp enough to cut any man or woman who spoke ill or talked down to her. And unlike most noble ladies, who would play the diffident and shy flower for the plucking, Kassandra had no qualms about staring back. The Vaels were royalty and yet, Kassandra somehow radiated more power than they did. She had this energy that persuaded one to come closer, to fall to their knees before her and cling to her every word like it was the gospel of the Maker. 

“Ah yes, how could I forget?” King Reginald turned to his wife, who remained silent, and his sons, who knew their father’s intended plan. The two elder sons had successfully negotiated a marriage of convenience with neighboring nations such as Nevarra and Markham. “The gifts!” King Reginald’s voice boomed over the dining room. 

“Gifts?” Aurora Trevelyan, Hugo’s wife, glanced at her husband with some confusion written across her expression. They were unaware of the addition of gifts to the feast. 

“A tradition of ours. Sons, please choose a Trevelyan to escort to pick up their gifts.” King Reginald declared and before Bann Trevelyan might protest, the three sons picked a Trevelyan with Sebastian choosing Kassandra. He stood in front of her, towering over her in a non-threatening manner as he reserved a charming smile for her. 

“My lady,” He greeted with a smooth bow and Kassandra was taken aback by his accent or the twinkle in his eyes that promised a bit of mischief. She accepted his arm graciously as a lady did but noticed the furrow of her father’s brow. As the only daughter, her father was instantly more protective of her and her virtue than her brothers. He knew she could handle herself should the situation call for it, but Kassandra understood why her father worried.   
She was a strong woman in a man’s world—a threat to their power and something worth destroying should she get in their way. 

“Thank you, Prince Sebastian.” Kassandra politely remarked as she swept up her skirt in her hand to keep it from dragging against the ground. She and Sebastian walked in the opposite direction of her brothers, which hardly escaped her notice. If worse came to worse, Kassandra could reach for the dagger pressed up against her thigh by a lace band. 

“Might I say how lovely you are, Lady Kassandra. By the Maker, he has gifted you.” Sebastian interrupted the silence between the two with a cheekily delivery that made Kassandra break bearing by rolling her eyes. Such an original line from the Prince of Starkhaven, she frowned. Such a shame as he was quite handsome and Kassandra held higher hopes that he might share a passion for intellect. But he laid on the charm like a common swindler, robbing men blind of their coin and women of their smallclothes. 

“I have heard that one before,” Kassandra remarked flatly, not in the mood to entertain such a trite sentiment lobbed at her by suitors her age or her father’s age. She hardly understood why men continued to use that line with the limit success it had. 

“But do the others mean it like I do?” Sebastian questioned, his question stumping Kassandra somewhat and she gave him a slightly impressed look. Maybe Prince Sebastian was smarter than she originally gave him credit for? 

“Perhaps. Perhaps not.” Kassandra remarked and she took in Sebastian with renewed interest at how he kept her on her toes. She had not met another in court who could keep up with her or challenged her sharp tongue with such cheeky, daring response. Kassandra and Sebastian strolled down the twisting, turning passageways of the castle with Kassandra half certain that Sebastian was taking the most direct route there. 

Gradually, with each flirtation exchanged between the two lowered Kassandra’s defenses and she felt unable to properly curb his smooth advances. The nagging voice in the back of her mind asked her if she even wanted to stop Sebastian from getting under her skin. Sebastian was concerned about his lack of progress where he normally had women eating out of the palm of his hand with a few smooth flirtations and superficial promises. They eventually reached the library where her gift was allegedly awaiting her. Sebastian guided her past the towering shelves of books, some coated with dust from neglect, over to a smooth wooden dresser and he opened the top drawer. 

“My father prepared gifts for your family’s arrival. It is a tradition in Starkhaven to present gifts as a way of showing gratitude toward your honored guests.” Sebastian shared and he lifted a small, glass box up to the light. Kassandra heard something metallic clink against the glass and her curiosity got the better of her as she accepted the box. Lifting the lid, she revealed a beautiful necklace of rubies and diamonds encrusted into a polished silver chain. Sebastian cautiously lifted the heirloom from the box and said, “This is yours,” 

“It is beautiful!” Kassandra breathlessly exclaimed and she spun around, allowing Sebastian to put it on her. His fingers, calloused from the years of mastering the bow, brushed her dark hair away from the back of her neck. His touch sparked all her nerves awake and he delicately slipped the necklace on, clasping it at the nape of her neck. 

“I saw this and thought of you. It belonged to my grandmother, who gave it to me. She told me that I should give this to the woman that I might marry for it reminds her of my devotion to her.” Sebastian informed and Kassandra’s blood ran cold. Certainly, she found Sebastian very attractive and charming, but the marriage was too much too fast. She thought she convinced her father that an arranged marriage would never be her style. 

“Marriage? My father never said anything about marriage!” Kassandra exclaimed quickly, stepping away from Sebastian in fear. She had walked into a trap without knowing it.

“My parents wished to woo them over dinner to discuss a possible engagement.” Sebastian informed and, taking in her horrified expression, asked her with some hurt evident, “Am I too revolting for you?” 

“No, I- You are very handsome, Prince Sebastian,” Kassandra replied, blush tinging her cheeks in a red hue that rivaled her dress. She felt her throat close nervously and the words struggled to get out, leaving the typically impeccable speaker speechless. She stammered, “However, I know my parents will never agree to such a proposal without proper courting or an ambushed approach such as this.” 

“Kassandra, I want to know if you would agree,” Sebastian interjected quickly and he covered his eagerness with a veneer of sophisticated charm. He was a master of toying with emotions of the women he settled his eyes on, but something stung at him when he tried his usual tricks with Kassandra. Was this guilt? Had his conscience finally caught up with his womanizing or was it because his family was using him the way he was planning to use her. He shook his head, “I want it to be your choice. I know of your uncle and his conniving ways. I know how he blacklisted you from the Templar Order and tries to force you into servitude of the Chantry. I have connections everywhere and people have loose tongues for a price. I want to help you.” 

“I- I don’t know…” Kassandra’s voice faltered, and she swallowed back her fear when she took in what she considered sincerity from Sebastian. He wanted to help her, that he did. She just didn’t know how marriage might do such a thing. Sebastian stepped closer to her and Kassandra stayed where she stood. She didn’t throw him off when his arms connected around her, the warmth of the embrace touching something within her that needed to be satiated. She craved intimacy from another human, the kind only a lover could satisfy. 

“I am the youngest son and you are the youngest daughter. Imagine the possibilities that marrying into the Starkhaven royal family would bring your family.” Sebastian whispered while staring down at Kassandra, still between his arms and her head pressed against his chest. His hands moved from her waist with the lightest of touches, enticing Kassandra with his every move. She felt drawn in by what Sebastian was saying and the political side of her understood what exactly came to benefit her family. The Trevelyans believed in duty to family above all else, and Kassandra was nothing short of a dutiful daughter.   
Rising onto the tips of her toes, Kassandra inched her lips closer to Sebastian’s and he leaned down to meet her at a halfway point. Her eyes fluttered shut and Sebastian, feeling confident that he succeeded, indulged himself by promising himself a taste. Their lips were a hair’s width apart and the warmth of their breaths mingled with the red-hot desire that generated between them that started long before either noticed. 

“Kassandra? Kassandra, where are you?” Theodore’s voice interrupted from outside the library and in the hallway. Kassandra, spurned from her trance, pulled back and looked over her shoulder. She knew how this looked and her family would not be pleased to find her in such a potentially compromising position. She gave Sebastian a gentile smile that promised she would return and decide with proper time to reflect on her choices. She glided across the library after picking up her skirt and poked her head out the double doors to see Theo down the hallway. 

“I am alright, Theo.” She stated calmly and at the sound of her voice, Theo marched up to her with a clenched jaw and that didn’t slip past Kassandra’s notice. There was something wrong. 

“We’re leaving.” Theo proclaimed, and Kassandra was stunned. The look in his eye screamed one of disgust and anger—she could read her brother better than anyone else. But it was hardly directed toward her, more like past her. Sebastian. 

“What? But Theo-” Kassandra protested but her cries were interrupted by Theo’s stern scowl and his arm forcefully wrapping around her. Kassandra, trained in the same combative skills that Theo was, escaped his grip and tried running back to the room. Theo, however, would not let her disobey their father. He grabbed her around her waist and slung her over her shoulder like some barbaric miscreant. “Put me down!” She shrieked at him and slammed her fists against his back. 

“Father’s orders,” Theo declared with finality and Kassandra felt a jolt of anger pushed down into her stomach, knowing she could never disobey her father without guilt tormenting her. Upon hearing the commotion, Sebastian ran out of the library and made eye contact with Kassandra from her position over Theo’s shoulder. 

The look in his eyes was one she would never forget, so long as she lived. He appeared heartbroken and she could only hope that her eyes conveyed the same to him. This was not her choice; she was merely a pawn in a political game. She was fought over like a piece of territory without so much as an inquiry into what she wanted. And now, when something she might want is offered to her, fate cruelly rips it away before she has a chance to decide her own fate.


End file.
